within its
respective province free of postage. By virtue of this power Nova Scotia
in 1852 abolished altogether the rate of postage on newspapers, taking
pride in the fact that they were the first authority in British North
America to grant the boon. New Brunswick soon followed suit. But the
result of this, coupled with the reduction in letter postage at the
unification, was adverse to the finances of the service in these
provinces. For several years the accounts showed a deficit, which was
met by the provinces cheerfully as a contribution of no less value than
contributions made for roads, bridges, and schools.[313]

In connection with the changes introduced at the time of the
Confederation, a charge for the transmission of newspapers by post was
made general throughout the federated area. The charge met with
considerable opposition from the Maritime Provinces, which thus lost the
boon of free transmission.[314] It was justified as nothing more nor
less than a simple charge for freight, the remission of which would be
to offer a bounty to a particular industry. The possibilities of
usefulness of the Post Office would, it was argued, be greatly reduced
if the service were loaded with the burden of the gratuitous
distribution of newspapers throughout so vast a country; since, if from
the diminution of revenue which such a course must produce, the
department were forced to look to Parliament for assistance, Parliament
would be disposed to discourage the establishment of new offices in the
thinly settled districts, where it was of the greatest importance that
they should be found.[315]

The arguments of members from the Maritime Provinces were somewhat
diverse. They said there was an essential distinction between letters
and newspapers, in that letters were private communications between
individuals, while newspapers were in some measure the organs of
communication between the Government and the people, and furnished the
only means by which to acquire that acquaintance with the law which
everybody was presumed to possess. Newspapers occupied a similar
position to that of schools, and presented one of the easiest channels
of enlightenment. In many cases, for the ordinary folk no other means of
education were open. On them the tax would be an imposition which might
be contrasted, it was said, with the favour accorded to the commercial
and wealthy classes by the reduction in the postage on letters.

It was further argued